In the wake of last week’s horrific school shooting in Parkland, local law enforcement and educators are reviewing their emergency plans, communicating across agencies, and are on alert for anything amiss on social media and stray comments from students.
“We are practicing,” schools spokeswoman Kerry Padrick said. “We are making sure we are prepared.”
The School District works with the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, as well as with local police departments, to come up with protocols and plans for dealing with active shooter scenarios.
While details continue to emerge from the Parkland tragedy, what is known is that the FBI failed to act on a tip from a person close to the suspected shooter warning of a potential for danger from the 19-year-old. In the wake of the shooting, law enforcement repeated the cry: “If you see something, say something.”
St. Lucie County Sheriff Ken Mascara urged the public to report tips locally. “Call 911. The proper authorities will respond,” he said. It’s one lesson already learned following the deaths of 17 people and the injuries of 12 others in Parkland. Other lessons are sure to be discovered in the After Action Report – a report filed after an incident such as this that is shared among law enforcement, first responders and other stakeholders.
“We continue to train non-stop,” Mascara said. After every active shooter incident, they review and see what can be tweaked within their plans. “We learn new things” in order to be ready, if, “God forbid, it happens here.”
In light of the Parkland shooter’s use of a fire alarm to initiate his attack, Mascara said law enforcement and schools will be discussing how to determine if a fire alarm is genuine or a ruse.
The Parkland shooting happened Wednesday, Feb. 14. Last Thursday and Friday, the Sheriff’s Office was out in full force at each of the schools – doubling or tripling security.
It wasn’t so much out of fear that an attack would happen, but more as a deterrent for those who might fancy themselves a copycat and as a way to steady the nerves of parents whose children would be at the schools.
A 14-year-old boy suspended from Southport Middle School in Port St. Lucie was one such alleged wannabe, according to Port St. Lucie police. The boy allegedly posted a threatening message on social media. His post echoed the circumstances of the 19-year-old in Parkland.
The teen was arrested Friday, Feb. 16, and has been charged with written threats to kill or do bodily injury. He was taken to the St. Lucie Regional Juvenile Detention Center.
All too often after these types of tragedies, social media fills up with posts of threats – be they in the form of photos depicting guns, or comments. Frequently, the poster claims it was all just a joke. But it’s no joking matter.
Padrick said the poster might find it to be a joke – and maybe it is – but it’s no longer funny when someone else looks at it differently and reports it.
“We always investigate,” she said.
Not only do law-enforcement agencies and the School District practice their security plans, but individual schools do as well – at all grade levels, including kindergarten.
Padrick said each school goes through two Code Red trainings each year and, so far, all have completed at least one.
Like a fire drill, the students are led through what to expect and what to do, at an age-appropriate level. Staff members are assigned certain responsibilities and older students are taught how to respond.
On a day-to-day basis, deputies from the Sheriff’s Office are stationed at various schools throughout the county. They are known as School Resource Deputies.
The Sheriff’s Office budget for SRDs is nearly $3.5 million, yet is not enough to fully equip every school, according to Sheriff Mascara.
“To me, that’s a problem,” he said. Still, those schools without a full-time deputy have the benefit of a “roaming deputy” who splits time among different campuses.
The School District kicks in about $400,000 to the SRD budget. The county makes up the rest, Mascara said, adding that he remains grateful to the County Commission for always approving the funds for the School Resource Deputies.
The school deputies are the first line of defense. They also establish rapport with students. They teach the NOPE – Narcotic Overdose Prevention Education – program. They roam the halls, observe lunch time, and assist during student pick-up and drop-off.
Mascara said that when he was first elected 18 years ago, one of his first projects was to craft an emergency response plan for each school. Looking at the blueprints, the Sheriff’s Office mapped out where the various staging areas would be; where parents could reunite with students, the medical triage location, even where media would be allowed. Each year, the agency reviews the plan and the blueprints, and makes adjustments as needed.
Mascara said they just completed that task in January.
Still, for all the planning and training, perhaps the best-case scenario is the one that prevents an active shooter situation. Mascara reiterated the need for all residents – parents, students, school staff, members of the greater public – to be vigilant in their social media consumption.
If something doesn’t seem right – report it.
The FBI will be reviewing its protocols and procedures following its failure to address the concerns raised regarding the Parkland shooter. The agency has admitted that it failed in its handling of the tips. The Sheriff’s Office is on stand-by, ready to investigate any and all tips.
Padrick added that those who wish to file a report but remain anonymous can do so by calling Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers, which can be reached by calling 800-273-8477.
